Follow local news and events in Maplewood with The Jersey Bee. Here is The Daily Buzz for Mar. 9, 2026 from The Jersey Bee.
LOCAL NEWS
Author reading with former Olympian Hazel Clark planned on Mar. 12 at Maplewood library’s Main Branch. Clark will read her new children’s book, “Hazel Takes the First Step,” from 4-5 p.m. Registration is not required. Free admission.
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Maplewood Public Library
Film screening and discussion of “Thoughts and Prayers,” a documentary about school safety, planned with SOMA Justice on Mar. 12 in Maplewood. It is from 7:30-9 p.m. at Maplewood library’s Main Branch. Free admission. Registration is required.
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SOMA Justice
Staged reading of “Pride and Prejudice” planned with Maplewood arts and culture on Mar. 16. It begins at 7 p.m. at the Burgdorff Theater, 10 Durand Rd. Free admission.
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Maplewood Division of Arts and Culture
Educators can attend a webinar training discussing ICE response and safety with SOMA Justice on Mar. 11. It is from 4-5 p.m. Free admission. Registration is required.
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SOMA Justice
Eligible Essex County residents with a household income of $80,000 or less can sign up for free tax preparation services at Bloomfield library. Appointments can be booked online. The last day to file taxes is Apr. 15.
Bloomfield Public Library
Ramadan wellness sessions for women planned at Palestinian American Community Center on Mar. 11 in Clifton. It begins at 11 a.m. at 388 Lakeview Ave. and will include yoga and mobility sessions. Free admission. Registration is required.
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Palestinian American Community Center
Essex County is receiving $41.9 million in grants to improve roads at 36 intersections, including in Belleville, East Orange, Irvington, and Newark. It will be segmented into two projects addressing intersections north of I-280 and south of I-280. It will include new traffic signals, upgrades to traffic signals, high-visibility crosswalks, and more. Project timelines are not yet announced.
TAPinto West Orange
REGIONAL NEWS
Newark Bay Bridge will be demolished and rebuilt with four lanes instead of eight after environmentalists and advocacy groups raised concerns to Gov. Mikie Sherrill. The bridge’s replacement comes after it was among the National Transportation Safety Board’s list of 68 spans nationwide with a potentially higher than acceptable collapse risk. A previous version of the replacement plan involved expanding the bridge by doubling its four lanes with an additional bridge. Advocacy groups and local government officials raised concerns about increased air pollution from additional traffic, and disproportionately harm neighborhoods in Newark, Bayonne, and Jersey City. Sherrill said the project will allow traffic to shift from the existing bridge by 2031, aligning with the safety board’s concerns.
NJ Spotlight News
New Jersey Department of Health is hiring program ambassadors. Responsibilities include assessing social determinants of health, identify barriers to healthcare access, and partnering with community organizations. Paid position. Work is hybrid in Trenton. Cover letter and resume must be sent to ommhspecificpops@doh.nj.gov by Mar. 13.
New Jersey Department of Health
